Cellular service has conventionally been controlled by wireless carrier networks and managed independently of, and with no connectivity to, enterprise voice and data networks. Enterprises today control their enterprise fixed voice and data networks by deployment of private branch exchanges (PBXs). The enterprise may own and manage PBXs within each branch and between branch offices. The enterprise may also manage their own data networks and corporate local area network (LAN)/wide area network (WAN). Bulk voice minutes and data capacity may be purchased from land-line carriers, or from other providers that have purchased bulk minutes and data capacity from carriers. The purchased capacity may then be used to connect branch offices using public IP Network providers, e.g., MCI, Sprint, L3, etc., for Data and Voice over IP (VoIP).
A premise with numerous members or users may have various facilities. The use of cellular communication devices on such premises is often prohibited or discouraged. For example, some schools have banned cellular telephone usage due to class interruptions and/or students cheating during exams by accessing the Internet on their mobile phones, text messaging other students for exam answers, or by other mechanisms. However, there are many cases when it may be desirable for students or faculty to be equipped with cellular telephone service, e.g., in the case of a natural disaster, a campus emergency, or other distress. For example, numerous school shootings have been well documented in the United States. In such situations, law enforcement may be greatly aided by receiving reports from students or faculty regarding an assailant or other information regarding an in-progress crime. Because such cases are high profile and quickly reported by various media, cellular systems often become overwhelmed due to students and family members placing calls to other students or family members. The high number of calls placed during such an event can quickly consume the cellular system capacity to the point where calls are unable to be placed to or from a cellular customer in a service area corresponding to the emergency.
Heretofore, no mechanisms have been provided to alleviate the above disadvantages.